The present invention relates to a connection between the electrodes of a pair, such electrodes to be used for the contact-free comminution of concrements in living beings, also called lithotripsy, under utilization of the shock waves which are generated upon a discharge between the electrodes whereby the electrodes themselves are connected to an inner and outer conductor.
Devices and constructions concerning lithotripsy are classified in the international classifications A61, B17-00, and B17/22. A representative example for electrodes, as far as construction is concerned, is shown in German Patent 2,635,635; see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,608,983 and 4,809,682 and others.
It is hnown to provide a connection between an inner conductor, an insulation and an outer conductor of such a dual electrode device, the connection is through adhesive bonding. Such adhesive connections, however, are not always adequate and do not hold under all circumstances. One aspect is that they are difficult to test. Also it was found that during transportation or even in use when for some reason or another an impact occurs, the bond may break. Critical here is, particularly, the connection between the jacket of a sleeve-shaped insulation on the inner conductor on the one hand and the bore of and in the outer conductor on the other hand. Since different kinds of thermal expansions occur, the relevant coefficients of the various parts are different, so that during changes in temperature, as is expected to occur during operation, the bond is highly loaded cyclically and may, therefore, break quite easily.